探花直播 of Cambridge - pancreatic cancer /taxonomy/subjects/pancreatic-cancer en Faulty BRCA genes linked to prostate and pancreatic cancers /research/news/faulty-brca-genes-linked-to-prostate-and-pancreatic-cancers <div class="field field-name-field-news-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img class="cam-scale-with-grid" src="/sites/default/files/styles/content-580x288/public/news/research/news/gettyimages-909208400v2.jpg?itok=6t9-MhmI" alt="Prostate cancer cells" title="Prostate cancer cells, Credit: KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p>A study published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology has provided the strongest evidence to date of these links and helped researchers estimate more accurately the associated risk.</p>&#13; &#13; <p>Since these genes were discovered in the mid 90s, numerous studies have explored possible links between BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations and other cancers. However, these studies had small sample sizes, resulting in imprecise estimates of cancer risk. Being able to estimate the risks accurately is important for informing cancer prevention and screening strategies and providing genetic counselling to those at greatest risk. BRCA mutations are uncommon, <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/predictive-genetic-tests-cancer/">affecting around 1 in 300-400 people in the population</a>.</p>&#13; &#13; <p>To further investigate these risk estimates, a team led by researchers at the 探花直播 of Cambridge, funded by Cancer Research UK, analysed data from almost 3,200 families with one or more members with the BRCA1 mutation and almost 2,200 families with members carrying the BRCA2 mutation. 探花直播families had all been recruited to the Consortium of Investigators of Modi铿乪rs of BRCA1/2. 探花直播researchers examined the associations with 22 primary cancers.</p>&#13; &#13; <p>From the data, the researchers estimated that men who carry a BRCA2 mutation have a 27% risk of developing prostate cancer by the time they are 80 years old, more than double the rate compared to non-carriers. BRCA1 mutations were not associated with an increase in prostate cancer risk.</p>&#13; &#13; <p>Carrying a defective copy of either BRCA1 or BRCA2 more than doubled an individual鈥檚 risk of pancreatic cancer to 2.5-3% by age 80.</p>&#13; &#13; <p> 探花直播mutations were also found to increase the risk of stomach cancer, though the researchers caution that because of the rarity of this form of cancer, the number of patients in their datasets was small.</p>&#13; &#13; <p>Mutations in both genes significantly increased the risk of breast cancer in men, though the disease is still very rare, <a href="https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/breast-cancer/types/male-breast-cancer">accounting for less than 1% of all male cancer cases in the UK</a>. While a BRCA1 mutation increased a man鈥檚 risk of developing breast cancer more than four-fold to 0.4% by age 80, a BRCA2 mutation increased this risk by 44 times to 3.8% by age 80. It is estimated that 38 out of 1,000 male carriers of the BRCA2 mutation will develop breast cancer by age 80.</p>&#13; &#13; <p> 探花直播researchers were unable to find compelling evidence that mutations were linked to increased risk of some other cancers which were previously thought to be linked to faulty BRCA genes, such as melanoma.</p>&#13; &#13; <p>Cancer Research UK says that people who are worried about their risk of cancer should talk to their GP. GPs can refer patients to a genetics clinic if they think someone has a strong family history and might be at an increased risk.</p>&#13; &#13; <p>Professor Antonis Antoniou from the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the 探花直播 of Cambridge, who led the research, said: 鈥淭hese large datasets of patients have allowed us to estimate with much greater accuracy the extent to which faulty BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes increase the risk of several cancers. We鈥檝e known for some time that they鈥檙e linked to breast and ovarian cancer, but there鈥檚 been uncertainty about other cancers.鈥</p>&#13; &#13; <p>Professor Marc Tischkowitz from the Department of Medical Genetics at the 探花直播 of Cambridge added: 鈥 探花直播link between BRCA2 and prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer is now much clearer, thanks to the data we鈥檝e analysed. We have also identified a potential link with stomach cancer, but this is based on small numbers and needs further study. Our data suggests that there is no strong link between BRCA2 and melanoma, which may provide greater clarity to BRCA2 gene carriers.</p>&#13; &#13; <p>鈥淥verall, the results will add to our knowledge on optimising cancer screening and early detection strategies for people who are known to carry these faulty genes.鈥</p>&#13; &#13; <p>Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, said: 鈥淥ur scientists helped to discover BRCA over 25 years ago and established that faults in these genes increase breast cancer risk. This study has built on that vital knowledge, giving us some important new insights into BRCA genes and the likely risks of developing prostate and pancreatic cancer.</p>&#13; &#13; <p>鈥淐ancers caused by inherited faulty BRCA genes are relatively rare, and other factors like age, smoking, diet and other preventable factors contribute to a person鈥檚 risk.</p>&#13; &#13; <p>鈥淚mproving our understanding of how faults in our genes are associated with certain cancers puts us in a much better position to pinpoint those at a higher risk of developing cancer.鈥 聽</p>&#13; &#13; <p><strong>Reference</strong><br />&#13; Li, S et al. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.21.02112">Cancer Risks Associated With BRCA1 and BRCA2 Pathogenic Variants.</a> Journal of Clinical Oncology; 25 Jan 2022; DOI: 10.1200/JCO.21.02112</p>&#13; </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-content-summary field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><p>Faulty versions of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are well known to increase the risk of breast cancer in men and women, and in ovarian cancer. Now BRCA1 and BRCA2 have been linked to several other cancers, including those that affect men.</p>&#13; </p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-content-quote field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">These large datasets of patients have allowed us to estimate with much greater accuracy the extent to which faulty BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes increase the risk of several cancers</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-content-quote-name field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Antonis Antoniou</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image-credit field-type-link-field field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/illustration/prostate-cancer-cells-royalty-free-illustration/909208400" target="_blank">KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image-desctiprion field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Prostate cancer cells</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cc-attribute-text field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="license"><img alt="Creative Commons License" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/4.0/88x31.png" style="border-width:0" /></a><br />&#13; 探花直播text in this work is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License</a>. Images, including our videos, are Copyright 漏 探花直播 of Cambridge and licensors/contributors as identified.聽 All rights reserved. We make our image and video content available in a number of ways 鈥 as here, on our <a href="/">main website</a> under its <a href="/about-this-site/terms-and-conditions">Terms and conditions</a>, and on a <a href="/about-this-site/connect-with-us">range of channels including social media</a> that permit your use and sharing of our content under their respective Terms.</p>&#13; </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-show-cc-text field-type-list-boolean field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Yes</div></div></div> Tue, 25 Jan 2022 21:00:40 +0000 cjb250 229451 at Research sheds new light on why pancreatic cancer drugs fail /research/news/research-sheds-new-light-on-why-pancreatic-cancer-drugs-fail <div class="field field-name-field-news-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img class="cam-scale-with-grid" src="/sites/default/files/styles/content-580x288/public/news/research/news/111017-blood-m.mate.jpg?itok=oE_9wdBL" alt="Blood" title="Blood, Credit: m.mate from Flickr" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> 探花直播study, published in the journal Science today, shows that a genetically modified mouse model of pancreatic cancer, which closely resembles human cancer, is largely resistant to germcitabine treatment. It is hoped that these results will help scientists overcome a common resistance to germcitabine and make future chemotherapy drugs more effective.</p>&#13; <p> 探花直播scientists had set out to discover why promising drugs generally fail in pancreatic cancer clinical trials. They found that in these mice studies pancreatic cancer is resistant to chemotherapy because the tumours tend to have poor networks of blood vessels called vasculature, which makes it harder for drugs to reach the tumour.</p>&#13; <p>Working with groups at Addenbrooke's Hospital, the Johns Hopkins Hospital, the 探花直播 of Dresden, MD Anderson Cancer Centre, 探花直播 of Pittsburgh and the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Centre, they also noted that human pancreatic cancer samples also contained a deficient blood supply, suggesting that their observation should also be applicable to patients.</p>&#13; <p>Senior author Dr David Tuveson, group leader in tumour modeling and experimental medicine at Cancer Research UK's Cambridge Research Institute, said: "We're extremely excited by these results as they may help explain the disappointing response that many pancreatic cancer patients receive from chemotherapy drugs."</p>&#13; <p> 探花直播study also found that the genetically modified mice displayed the same resistance to gemcitabine as seen in human pancreatic cancer, whereas the transplantation mouse models traditionally used to develop chemotherapy treatments were sensitive to gemcitabine. This means that the new genetically modified models could prove superior in developing new treatments in the future.</p>&#13; <p>When the scientists added the compound called IPI-926, created by Infinity Pharmaceuticals, to gemcitabine, they noticed increased cell death and a reduction of the pancreatic tumour size. Using this combination the researcher believe that it could re-open the door to several new treatments which have, so far, proven disappointing in patient trials for pancreatic cancer because of poor drug delivery.</p>&#13; <p>"But these are early days and we need to show this approach is safe to use in humans before we can consider adding the new compound to cancer treatments," said Dr Tuveson.</p>&#13; <p>These findings may also help to explain why pancreatic cancer does not respond to anti-angiogenic drugs such as VEGF inhibitors when many other cancers do. These are a new class of drugs which starve the tumour by restricting its blood supply. As pancreatic cancers don't seem to need as good a supply of blood to the tumour as other cancers, the scientists believe that they may need to introduce additional drugs to help stop tumour growth.</p>&#13; <p> 探花直播scientists at Cancer Research UK's Cambridge Research Institute were co-funded by 探花直播Lustgarten Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.</p>&#13; <p> 探花直播Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute is a major new research centre which aims to take the scientific strengths of Cambridge to practical application for the benefit of cancer patients. 探花直播Institute is a unique partnership between the 探花直播 of Cambridge and Cancer Research UK. It is housed in the Li Ka Shing Centre, a state-of-the-art research facility located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus which was generously funded by Hutchison Whampoa Ltd, Cambridge 探花直播, Cancer Research UK, 探花直播Atlantic Philanthropies and a range of other donors. For more information visit <a href="http://www.cambridgecancer.org.uk">www.cambridgecancer.org.uk</a>.</p>&#13; </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-content-summary field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><p>An international team of scientists, led by researchers based at the Cambridge Research Institute, have discovered a new mechanism that may explain why pancreatic cancer patients are often resistant to a common chemotherapy treatment, germcitabine.</p>&#13; </p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-content-quote field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">We&#039;re extremely excited by these results as they may help explain the disappointing response that many pancreatic cancer patients receive from chemotherapy drugs.</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-content-quote-name field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Dr David Tuveson</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image-credit field-type-link-field field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/" target="_blank">m.mate from Flickr</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image-desctiprion field-type-text field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Blood</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-cc-attribute-text field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/"><img alt="" src="/sites/www.cam.ac.uk/files/80x15.png" style="width: 80px; height: 15px;" /></a></p>&#13; <p>This work is licensed under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a>. If you use this content on your site please link back to this page.</p>&#13; </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-show-cc-text field-type-list-boolean field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Yes</div></div></div> Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000 bjb42 25856 at